Chev Clarke beats Chris Billam-Smith at London's Copper Box arena
Chev Clarke defeated former cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith in a non-title fight at London's Copper Box arena. The referee stopped the fight in the seventh round after Clarke landed a series of unanswered punches.
Why it matters
The result marks a significant career milestone for Clarke and a notable setback for the former champion Billam-Smith.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Chev Clarke (left) had previously beaten Chris Billam-Smith in a three-round amateur contest
Former cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith was knocked down and stopped for the first time in his career as Chev Clarke won their all-British non-title fight on Saturday.
Londoner Clarke landed a big right hand at the start of the seventh round and although Billam-Smith beat the count, he was down again moments later after a barrage of punches.
The contest was allowed to continue but the Bournemouth fighter looked unsteady on his legs and when Clarke connected with two more blows, the referee stepped in.
Billam-Smith immediately protested against the decision, while Clarke stood in the middle of the ring shrugging his shoulders.
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